Pinned Post
Suggested Reflection Questions
Your role at Burke's
When did this opportunity take place?
Summary of workshop/ opportunity
Goals & Collaborations:
- What were your big takeaways from your workshop or project?
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Upper School Curriculum
Public·10 members
Rooted in Resistance Conference
I attended a brand new conference in ATL this past weekend and I chose to go to this conference after PoCC was cancelled. PoCC was a conference that really kept me grounded, inspired and optimistic about the work I do as a black female educator in independent schools. So after the devastation of if being cancelled, I needed to look for an alternative. Initially, I was going to attend Roots to Routes in PA but the weather impacted my travel and I was unable to attend. I am grateful for the experience and opportunity that presented as this conference was amazing!
Rooted in Resistance was an intimate conference with about 150-200 attendees. They opened the conference by saying "welcome home" and it couldn't have felt more welcoming and comfortable as a black woman to hear those words. Dr. Bettina Love was an inspiring keynote and her presence throughout the conference…
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Fran Yang
2 days ago
I LOVE this image and so glad you were able to attend! In the absence of POCC we have been able to connect and explore other opportunities which is so important! The smaller group sounds nice and every child does deserve a black teacher and especially one as dedicated and caring as yourself. Thanks for the reflection. Much of the sentiment is similar to what I am walking away from the AAPI conference I just attended which was also a result of looking for community that POCC once provided. These spaces are so important and I'm so happy this one worked out!
Teaching Sexuality: How to answer any question any kid of any age will ever ask you.
On October 30th I participated in an online workshop as PD for the Sex Ed unit that I assist the US Science department with.
For the most part it was reassuring that what we were currently doing for the Sex Ed unit was in line with what the speaker was saying.
I was able to take away additional insight and advice that will be useful such as:
Students are seeking truth - addressing misconceptions is very important
We are giving information, not permission to do something or encouraging students to do anything.
I will take what I have learned during this workshop and apply it to teaching Sex Ed this year.
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November 2025 ACTFL Convention
Dawn Kleint
Upper School French Teacher
ACTFL Convention, New Orleans, LA - November 21-23
I went into the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Convention in New Orleans with an open mind, not knowing what to expect, yet hoping to gain some great insights into language teaching. I started the convention on Friday morning with a full schedule, ready to go to all the French seminars that were offered. The first one I attended, a presentation from a doctoral student in French, was very theoretical, and didn’t provide any real-world examples for classroom use. So, I decided after that to broaden my plans a bit to include other languages.
I ended up attending a session called Soy Profe! from a high school Spanish teacher in Baltimore. She was very engaging and enthusiastic. She involved the audience (of adults), provided a handout and showed visuals, including a video of her…
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American Council of Teachers of Foreign Language (ACTFL); 21-23 November 2025
This year I attended the ACTFL conference in New Orleans with the other members of my department. I am grateful for this opportunity for I enjoy learning about different teaching strategies and practices and exploring new technological resources and texts. I am in my 19th year at Burkes and am one of the two Spanish teachers in the Upper School. Initially, the conference can be overwhelming in its many offerings to attendees yet all that is required is a mindful review of the sessions and presentations that best serve my needs and interests. Of the sessions that I attended, several were very informative and useful for my own curricula. In the year after my administrative evaluation, it is my goal to attend more PD and to participate in valuable exploration and discussion with other colleagues. My goal, going forward, is to participate in at least one PD endeavor in an academic year. This could involve some significant travel as well as visiting another school in the Bay Area. My big take aways of this experience landed on two points: one is to flex my creative muscles and write/submit proposals for future conferences and the other is to revamp/freshen up my interdisciplinary sections (in particular the teaching of music and Spanish and women's contributions in my creative projects). Several of the sessions I attended provided me with fresh and imaginative ideas in
these areas. In the past, I was very involved in working collaboratively with other teachers, both at Burkes and from other schools, in leading workshops and sharing best teaching practices. I would like to resume this activity.
I am thankful to have had the opportunity to attend this year's ACTFL and I am appreciative of Burke's mission to support the faculty in their professional growth.
AFS
3 December 2025